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We’ve just added a new filter on the list of rankings, for mini-reviews.
Now, you can view just those rankings which have mini-reviews. And if you’re looking at your own list, you can filter on those that don’t yet have reviews.
Check it out, and let us know what you think!
SNL got back into the movie-making game with Will Forte’s MacGruber, to very mixed results. The scores at Criticker were all over the place on this one; my guess is, you know whether or not you’ll like MacGruber before you even pop it in. A film which might surprise you, though, is That Evening Sun, about an aging farmer engaged in a grudge match with his farm’s new tenant. It racked up a couple awards on the indie circuit, including the Audience Award at South By Southwest.
MacGruber – Average Tier 4.00
Based on the “Saturday Night Live” sketch, this action-packed comedy stars Will Forte as incompetent former special ops agent MacGruber. When he’s called back into action to deactivate archenemy Dieter Von Cunth (Val Kilmer), MacGruber is on the case. Now, he must thwart Von Cunth’s plans to destroy Washington, D.C., with a nuclear warhead. MacGruber @ Amazon
Killers – Average Tier 2.45
A vacationing woman meets her ideal man, leading to a swift marriage. Back at home, however, their idyllic life is upset when they discover their neighbors could be assassins who have been contracted to kill the couple. Killers @ Amazon
Solitary Man – Average Tier 6.14
A car magnate watches his personal and professional life hit the skids because of his business and romantic indiscretions. Solitary Man @ Amazon
That Evening Sun – Average Tier 6.82
Abner Meecham leaves his nursing home and tries to reclaim his farm which has been leased by his son to Abner’s nemesis. That Evening Sun @ Amazon
Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, The – Average Tier 4.00
After returning from studies overseas, Fisher falls in love with Jimmy, the down-and-out son of an alcoholic father and an insane mother who works at a store on her family’s plantation. She tries to pass him off as an upper-class suitor to appease the spinster aunt who controls her family’s fortune, but when she loses a diamond, it places their tenuous relationship in further jeopardy. Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, The @ Amazon
Robert Rodriguez’s Mexican revenge flick Machete hacked George Clooney’s The American to pieces at the weekend box office… a feat which I can’t believe, and totally love.
Take that, Arizona! Hah, I’m sure that conservative airwaves will be full of hand-wringing about the changing face of the country, if more of us would rather see a Mexican hit man kill people than George Clooney in a movie called The American. (And they’re off!)
If you haven’t seen the hilarious Cinco de Mayo trailer for Machete where Rodriguez pretty much declares war on Arizona’s racist anti-immigration laws, it’s worth checking out, even though it’s pretty old.
How excited are we for Aronofsky’s Black Swan?
>——————— THIS EXCITED ———————<
Black Swan is a psychological thriller set in the world of ballet, starring Natalie Portman and Vincent Cassel. And if we can trust early reviews out of Venice, where the film opened the festival, Darren Aronofsky has added another masterpiece to his already impressive resume. Just check out the headline to this short review, at ObsessedWithFilm: “BLACK SWAN best film of the year – left me devastated, excited, tense and emotionally drained“. Ach, to be in Venice!!
We’ve found the trailer… looks spooky (as does Portman in the film’s official poster). It reminds me of Polanski’s early films, like The Tenant. US audiences will have to wait until December 1st.
Alright, we’ll make this fast because this is the worst week of new DVD releases in a very long time. Only Michael Caine as Harry Brown manages to be interesting. I still can’t fathom that people would pay money to see Marmaduke in theaters. Are families really that desperate for kid-friendly fare?
Harry Brown – Average Tier 5.99
An elderly ex-serviceman and widower looks to avenge his best friend’s murder by doling out his own form of justice. Harry Brown @ Amazon
Marmaduke – Average Tier 1.70
When Phil and Debbie Winslow (comedy vets Lee Pace and Judy Greer) relocate from their native Kansas to the sunny climes of Orange County, their big-hearted, havoc-wreaking Great Dane (voiced by Owen Wilson) gets a taste of the dog’s life, California-style. Featuring the voice talents of Emma Stone, Ron Perlman, Jeremy Piven, and Steve Coogan, this family comedy blends live action and CGI animation to bring America’s most-beloved, if slobbery, comic-strip mutt to life. Marmaduke @ Amazon
Why Did I Get Married Too? – Average Tier 2.63
Four couples reunite for their annual vacation in order to socialize and to spend time analyzing their marriages. Their intimate week in the Bahamas is disrupted by the arrival of an ex-husband determined to win back his recently remarried wife. Why Did I Get Married Too? @ Amazon
We were saddened to see Edgar Wright’s critically praised comic adaptation Scott Pilgrim vs. The World bomb at the box office this weekend. There are a few theories as to why.
But it reminded me of the excellent posters for the action star Lucas Lee (played hilariously by Chris Evans), which I saw at ComicsAlliance a couple weeks ago. Lucas Lee was a skater before becoming a Hollywood superstar, and is one of the evil ex-boyfriends which Scott must defeat.
Action Doctor’s tagline is classic. There are more over at ComicsAlliance, so go check them out!
A strong week for new films on DVD. Both City Island and Ajami were warmly received by the users of Criticker, but the most love was saved for Australian thriller The Square and the documentary about one of television’s first funny-women, Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg.
City Island – Average Tier 6.70
Meet the Rizzos, a family that might get along a lot better if only they could tell each other the truth.City Island @ Amazon
The Back-up Plan – Average Tier 2.58
A romantic comedy of coincidences begins when Zoe (Jennifer Lopez), tired of looking for Mr. Right, decides to have a baby on her own. As fate would have it, she meets the perfect man (Alex O’Loughlin) on the same day she’s artificially inseminated. Now, Zoe has to figure out how to make her two life’s dreams fit with each other. Alan Poul directs a hilarious, heartfelt tale of modern confusion, confession and romantic slapstick. The Back-up Plan @ Amazon
Ajami – Average Tier 6.53
Jaffa’s Ajami neighborhood is a melting pot of cultures and conflicting views among Jews, Muslims and Christians. 13-year-old Nasri and his older brother live in fear after their uncle wounds a prominent clan member. Naive young Palestinian refugee Malek works illegally in Israel to pay for the surgery that will save his mother. Wealthy Palestinian Binj dreams of a bright future with his Jewish girlfriend. Jewish policeman Dando seeks revenge when his brother is found murdered in the West Bank.Ajami @ Amazon
Escaping the monotony of a loveless marriage, Raymond Yale becomes entangled in an affair with the beautiful and troubled Carla. Ray’s moral limits are tested when Carla presents him with the proceeds of her controlling husband’s latest crime. The seed is planted and Ray, fearing he will lose his love, hires the professional arsonist Billy to cover their traces. Everything seems set, until the plan goes horribly wrong. The Square @ Amazon
A documentary on television pioneer Gertrude Berg. She was the creator, principal writer, and star of “The Goldbergs,” a popular radio show for 17 years, which became television’s very first character-driven domestic sitcom in 1949. Berg received the first Best Actress Emmy in history, and paved the way for women in the entertainment industry. Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg @ Amazon
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